When England Sleeps
by Faceslikemine16
Summary: 1936, Fascism is rising in Europe, the British government is sleeping with their eyes open. In Spain a civil war that will claim 500,000 lives has broken out. As the terrifying pre war period begins how will Downton Abbey's new generation and the old respond?
1. Chapter 1

**So I think this will probably span from 1936-39 although maybe a little longer and cover a child from each sister so Sybil first, then George and then Edith's illegitimate daughter Hannah. Also Matthew is still alive purely for convenience as I really can't keep up with Mary's suitors and Tom has remarried, Sarah Bunting five years ago. However Sybil spends most of her time at Downton Abbey. **

Part One: Sybil

**September 1936, **

Sybil Branson lay down in the grass gazing at the blue yellow sky, it was her and her best friend's habit to skip lacrosse and on this gorgeous sunny day there was no way they were going to waste it running about. Her best-friend Rebecca sat up suddenly fracturing the light over her eyes. She began to un braid her long plait. Masses of dark waves fell over her shoulders down to her waist.

"You have princess hair." Sybil said reaching out to touch it. She had cut and permed hers last summer with her Aunt Rose, but she slightly regretted it sometimes.

"I prefer yours," She said lazily "Much more grownup, you have gorgeous cheek bones and big blue eyes"

"Maybe" They were her mother's eyes, her mother's cheekbones.

Sybil disagreed Rebecca's hair was not the only princess thing about her. She was tall and slender with golden skin and enormous green eyes. One of the girls, who curled her lip and made snarky remarks about Sybil being a Fenian, said she browned like a Indian. Rebecca said she was a colonist little cow.

The bell rang and the girls got up gathering satchels and books, Rebecca linked arms with Sybil and fished out a bit of fluffyish bubblegum from her pocket and brushed it off with her sleeve.

"Want some?"

"Err no,"

"Suit yourself," Rebecca popped it in her mouth,

"God you're disgusting." Sybil teased poking her in the ribs as they swung into

St. Clare's ladies were formed in eighteen thirty-six as a finishing school. _Finish us off more like _Sybil thought. The headmistress Mrs Charlton seemed to have been headmistress since then and had a timeless look about her both ancient and never aging. Its days as a finishing school may have passed, but school was still an incredibly loose word to describe St. Clare's not a single girl had ever moved onto higher education. Her Grandparents had chosen it as a suitable option the school was full of her titled third and second cousins and her father had agreed. Rebecca had been sent here as a last resort she had been thrown out of her last four schools. From the minute she arrived here to the minute she had arrived feeling desperately homesick to the minute Rebecca arrived two years ago. She had hated it; she disliked the girls and did not belong in their world her working class father was a black mark on her forehead. The sympathy for her mother's passing only went so far.

They slunk into the crowd full of red cheeked sweaty lacrosse players, trying not to look suspicious.

"Miss Stein!" The headmistress shouted the crowd parted letting Rebecca and Sybil stand in the middle alone. Sybil squeezed her arm.

"I've been looking for you," Miss Charlton clicked her heels over to Rebecca. "I've been looking for you since lunchtime, a letter from your brother-in-law." She glared at the two of them. Sybil and Rebecca not blonde or ladies or fond of white gloves were her least favourites.

"Thank-you." Sybil muttered sarcastically under her breath as the woman turned away.

Rebecca grinned and ripped open the envelope; she glanced at the letter and turned grey.

"Miss Charlton, miss Charlton!"

"What is it girl?" The woman snapped,

"I I need to call Ned."

She said twisting her hands in front of her, Sybil hung back approaching Miss Charlton was like approaching a angry snake,

"Sir Edward Stanley," Miss Charlton emphasised. "Is a very busy man and you will not disturb him,"

"Please." Rebecca said desperately

Sybil felt shocked; she had never heard Rebecca beg like that before, Rebecca was all eyebrows and pouts begging did not feature.

"Phone calls home are made every Sunday, you will wait till then."

For an awful moment Sybil imagined a repeat of the behaviour that had got her friend tossed out of four other schools. But instead Rebecca turned on her heel and ran back down the corridor. Sybil went after her and into an empty classroom. Rebecca sitting collapsed on one of the desks was trying desperately not to cry, lighting a cigarette at the same time.

"Becky?" She gestured at the letter clutched tightly in her hand.

"Read it." She spoke through gritted teeth.

Sybil reached for it, the letter had been written on thick creamy foreign office paper.

_Darling Rebecca, _

_Your Cousin Herman called last night said Joachim has been arrested for Communist activities, you absolutely must not worry I am doing the best I can to locate him. I'm sure it will only take a matter of time. I'll see you very soon and get in contact the minute I hear anything,_

_Ned. _

The letter was very brief; Sybil felt it had only been lengthened to give Rebecca a bit of sanity. It hadn't worked.

For all her father was a socialist, she was used to the word communist spoken only with derision for its apparent stupidity and fear. Actually the word was barely spoken at all her grandfather talked about bolshies and reds instead her father bit his tongue and smiled slightly. She had no idea what to say. Rebecca held out the squeezed cigarette package the shape of her fist for Sybil, Sybil shook her head and searched for words to use.

"I'm sure it's not…"

"It is true…" Rebecca groaned burying her head into her hands. "Oh God."

Sybil wrapped a arm around her shoulders "Oh Becky don't worry Ned will call the embassy he'll get him out, I'll" She thought about offering her grandfather's services but said nothing Rebecca after all was every bit as well connected as she was as far as one side of her family went.

"No…No Sybil you see." She swallowed "He's Jewish a bloody Jewish communist." She choked on the word and on her smoke.

"They're going to kill him."

"Jewish but…"

"Oh Sybil I thought you knew, I mean I've hardly stepped into a synagogue but my last name."

"German," Sybil said the awful repercussions for Joachim the boy she had never even met were descending on her "Your grandfather I thought he was German."

"He was German," Rebecca said simply "Until the Nuremburg laws last year."

"I'm sorry," What a useless word but Sybil says it again "I'm so so sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hiya so sorry no other Downton characters yet I'm still working on setting the scene :/ Anyway I hope you like it quite a bit longer this time. Thank you for the reviews and follows ect… please keep them coming! x**

Part One: Sybil

**October 1936, **

"Are you sure you don't want to come home Darling," Sybil sighed heavily and moved back the receiver to her ear.

"It's only half term four days, there's hardly any point I'll go to Aunt Rosamund's on Friday, if you can come then."

"Afraid not love, I've got a big article due and Tommy's got a stomach bug," Sybil tried to swallow down the grimace she automatically felt when any referred to her little half-brother. The feeling horrified her she couldn't believe she could be so stupid and immature; she kept the jealously hidden deep where no one could see it.

"It's all alright I'm staying with Becca Thursday night and Sunday night," She glanced at her watch, "Actually I've got to go Da," She said hurriedly

"Sybbie… I"

"I've really got to go." She said putting back down the phone. For a moment she regretted it and wanted to pick it back up say I love you but she didn't. Maybe it was the disappointment that she would not see her father till Christmas, maybe whatever…

Sybil shared a dorm with Rebecca and another girl in their form Hillary. Hillary was basically a nice girl not rude, snobbish or prudish, but best of all hardly ever there she was a quiet girl and given to being ill and disappearing for weeks on end. When Sybil entered the room she was sitting on her bed, Rebecca was packing. Sybil smiled awkwardly at her.

"Not going home?"

"Nah,"

Sybil suddenly felt terrible after all she and Rebecca were forever staying with each other during the holiday not bothering to invite Hillary but before she could say anything Hillary pointedly picked up her book from the pillow and left. Sybil began to pack.

"You're taking loads of dresses,"

"I have too," Sybil replied "For dinner,"

"Urgh," Rebecca pulled out a glove from Sybil's suitcase "Long gloves what are we Edwardian?"

"Aunt Rosamund's terribly old fashioned and we are technically even if he hasn't been crowned yet."

Rebecca snapped her suitcase shut and lay down on the bed "_I once danced with the boy who danced with the girl who danced with the Prince of Wales,_" She sang.

"Have you ever?"

"No my mot- Jessica did once and my sister, you know Ned thinks he won't be able to keep his throne if he doesn't give up Mrs Simpson."

Sybil noted the slip of tongue Rebecca refused to refer to her parents by their old titles: Mother, Father it was part of their punishment for being dead. Sybil understood if her mother's name wasn't the same as hers she would probably do the same. But now she said, "Whose Mrs Simpson?"

"Oh darling I forget how out of touch you are with the world in Yorkshire, the newspapers aren't reporting it and I don't suppose your republican father cares but she's his American Love-er." She pronounced it as two words raising one eyebrow then the other."It's scandalous,"

"But why does it matter? sex is hardly something they invented in the twenties"

" The way my sister used to talk about it you'd think different. She's been divorced three times and he wants to marry her, parliament won't stand for it." She shrugged as if she didn't care either.

"What are you wearing for Thursday, not the gloves I hope."

"No," Sybil laughed "My pale blue chiffon,"

"Beautiful," Rebecca said.

"I hope you don't mind me only staying two nights, it's just my Uncle and Aunt will be in town,"

"Syb its fine I am actually a little glad I want to have some time with the children I do miss them…"

That was the problem Sybil thought, Rebecca was the only one who might understand how she felt about little Tommy. Having had to share her beloved elder half sister with her nephew's and niece's so soon after her parent's deaths. But Rebecca seemed to adore her sister's children, had become particularly protective of them since Sophia's death. Sybil also wondered if she wanted Sir Edward, her brother-in-law too herself for a bit. There had been no news about her cousin a picture of tall handsome young man with dark hair and eyes arm in arm with Rebecca had disappeared from Rebecca's bed side table. Sybil found no way of bringing the subject up, Rebecca like herself could hide things deep and turn to ice and stone.

Sybil loved going on the train to London, actually she loved the freedom of Paddington station knowing she could go anywhere just anywhere. As the train speeds past the platform, Sybil caught sight of a tall gorgeous man in his early thirties standing on the platform edge. Sybil felt blood rush in her ears, she melted inside. Sybil opened the door and they both got out. Sir Edward Stanley waved and took two strides over to them. Rebecca dropped her bag and threw her arms around his neck leaning up on her tip toes he kissed her forehead and turned to Sybil.

Sybil had met Ned for the first time two Christmases ago and it had taken about an hour for her to develop a deep puppy crush on him. He was incredibly charming and ridiculously handsome tall with tousled brown gold hair, blue eyes and chiselled features a jaw line that could cut glass. A smile tugged at his lips.

"Hello Miss Branson."

"Hello," She began as he bent to kiss her one cheek and then the other she caught only the air by his cheeks.

"Er thank you for having me that is,"

"Not a problem," He smiled again "If you mind I won't ask how the both you are, I'll give the time to complain when we get to the car,"

He good naturedly waved both the porter and Sybil away from their suitcases and carried them to his car.

"I'll get in the back" Rebecca said hurriedly "You don't mind do you darling?" She asked Sybil.

"No of course not,"

"She wants to smoke," Ned tutted, As Rebecca unwound the window in the back "You don't do it do you, Sybil darling it's a disgusting habit."

"Ignore him Sybil, he's one to talk, lighter please"

Sybil was trying to ignore him, trying to remember that the upper classes used the word darling like most other people used the word er.

The house was in Belgravia where her Aunt Rosamund lived, Eaton Place. It was like all houses there Georgian with plaster white façade. They did not make it far through the door before Lucy Rebecca's pretty blonde six year old niece launched herself at her Aunt. Daniel a sensitive nine year old who looked just like Ned also arrived at her elbow for a huge hug. "Kiss Sybil too?" Rebecca teased.

Only Diana the three year old little girl hid behind her father's legs. Like herself, Sybil remembered Diana had been born in a labour that killed her mother she bent slightly to give the girl a very sweet smile.

"Ned's a very good father isn't he?" She said later sitting on Rebecca's bed applying scarlet nail vanish, at Downton the fashion hadn't really caught and she knew her grandparents would disapprove.

"Hmm," Rebecca said clasping on her necklace, "Oh what yes, he adores them actually nothing like Jonathan at all he was awful after Sophy's mother died that reminds me, Ned and I are going to have an argument tomorrow about Daniel and boarding school."

"Oh yes do you want so help, Georgie _hated_ it"

"No thanks you see I know I probably won't win, But I know he secretly agrees with me because he always goes a little pale when I talk about him going to Eton in the end."

Sybil pushed her dark wavy hair from her forehead using two silvery combs.

"Do you want to borrow some earrings?" Rebecca asked dangling some paste drop earrings in front of Sybil's face.

"Oh please," Sybil clipped them on reapplied her red lipstick in her compact mirror.

"Ok get up twirl let me see."

Sybil clambered carefully off the bed slid her feet into her silvery heels and smoothed down her skirt. It was a very good dress, she had to admit Grecian-esque fitted around her slim waist and flowing out into a full skirt around her ankles. She felt light and coolly pretty.

"Gorgeous."

Rebecca got up as well she was wearing a satin green dress tight to wear a piece of chiffon was knotted at her hips and billowed out in a wide strip with the rest of the dress. The less was backless so Rebecca wasn't wearing a bra which Sybil had to admit was less problematic than if she had been forced to go without. She had been quite full in the chest since she was twelve years old, her Aunt Mary said her mother had been exactly the same which had made her frightfully jealous, Rebecca was almost as flat as a child.

"Speak for yourself," Sybil said "That dress…"

"Oh my cousin made it," Rebecca said dismissively starting to pin up her hair.

"Can't you wear it down?"

"How improper," They both said at the same time imitating a girl from their form Imogen Rickman who seemed to think everything from playing cards to plucking eyebrows were terribly wicked.

"I'm not entirely sure what Sybil's family would say if they knew I've taken you to Soho."

"Stop teasing! You know this is barely Soho." Rebecca groaned as he put the car into park

"And how would you know anything about that young lady?"

"You no more want to know what I do with Cousin Freddie than I what you do with the Duke of Kent." Rebecca said primly.

Ned laughed and opened the door for Sybil to get out Rebecca climbed out. He offered Sybil his arm and she hooked her fingers around the elbow trying desperately not to look too soppy. Rebecca lit a cigarette and walked along side them saying nothing.

"You'll be coming out next year..?" Gracious as always after dinner Ned and taken her off to dance first. She was trying to forget where his hands were and not stare at him too much

"Yes well that's the plan," Sybil smiled

"I don't suppose you can persuade Becca? she is completely against being married off as she calls it" He sighed.

"Well…" Sybil began considering it. "No I don't think so."

" No, well thank-god she's not a world leader, persuading's supposed to be my stock-in-trade."

They laughed again but Sybil though Ned sounded tired.

She took a deep breath. "Have you had any news on…Joachim?"

He pulled a face "Has she told you about that?"

"Yes."

"No news," He said "If his father hadn't seen him being dragged away then I don't know. I'm afraid having a English relative isn't helping as much as it could. Every prison, work camp I've spoken with hears the foreign office and denies ever having anything to do with him. There's still hope of course… but."

"But?" Sybil repeated twisting around to follow his eye line. Rebecca had disentangled herself from her partner and had marched off to sit on the bar stool.

"I'm going to tell her to expect the worse."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thank you for the reviews: LadyLuck true I don't think Tom would want Sybbie at a finishing school but its not actually one just a bit rubbish :L Anyway I hope you all enjoy this x**

**Part One: Sybil**

_October 1936_

The dress she wore to go down to dinner at Aunt Rosamund's was very very different from the one she wore the night before. Peachy coloured with the dreaded long white gloves, Sybil imagined Rebecca having a fit rather than get into it, actually Sybil thought I would have a fit if I had to wear this outside home.

Her grandparents were visiting as were Aunt Mary and Uncle Matthew. In fact the only person was missing, except for her father who was not really a Crawley her Aunt Edith was the only one who was missing as per usual.

"You look beautiful darling."

"Thank you, Grandpapa," She kissed her grandfather's cheek and sat down on the sofa.

"How's school?" Someone asked, so it begins she thought.

"Who were you staying with again dear?"

"Oh err Sir Edward Stanley, Rebecca's" She opened her mouth to explain again the rather complex link between Ned and Rebecca. But Aunt Rosamund raised her hand.

"Oh yes the late Lady Stanley's (a lovelier woman you could not find.) Little sister, a bit wild don't you think."

"Probably takes after her Grandmother, do you remember Lady Alice Cora? She ran away with that German man a couple of days after our wedding."

Sybil opened her mouth to protest, Rebecca was not that wild but then she remembered that she had been tossed out of Four boarding schools.

_What for?_

_Oh I think I called the headmistress a bitch, oh and got caught smoking and fell off the roof for a dare…_

"Oh yes, but Sir Edward is such a lovely man."

"A rising star," Uncle Matthew said raising his glass "Eden can't stop talking about him; I expect he longs to replace his permanent sectary, Vansittart's not very popular at the moment."

"Oh that old war monger," Her Aunt Mary waved it away dismissively.

Sybil closed her eyes, why was this always the case? At school she longed to be at home and when she came back home… she realised she didn't actually have one. Downton abbey was the place her mother had longed to escape; the house where her father lived in Liverpool was really another family's place. At least at school everyone was on the same page.

"Darling, are you alright?" She smiled in response to her Grandmother's transatlantic drawl.

"Yes perfectly, just a little tired."

Something cold gnawed at her insides, she would rather be in Liverpool, she would rather be in Yorkshire, and she would rather be anywhere but here.

Dinner dragged agonizingly until she could escape back up to her room.

Saturday meant shopping for clothes she doesn't really want to wear her father said a couple times that Mary had never had a daughter and always wanted one so it was best to indulge it. She admits her Aunt Mary had impeccable taste. But hats and two tone shoes were far too fussy for Sybil. After two hours she was getting exhausted.

"Can't we buy these?" She held out a pair of dark blue flared trousers.

"Oh Darling what on earth would mama say! There not really appropriate." Sybil pulled a face. Mary sighed heavily.

"Oh you really are your mother aren't you?" She said. "Fine, but you have to promise not to wear them at Downton."

Sybil looked wide eyed and innocently at her.

"Promise," Her Aunt insisted.

"Of course!"

Mary narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her then shrugged, Sybil hugged her "Oh thank you."

Things were looking up when they got home, in her guest room she tried on the forbidden trousers and grinned at her reflection. The telephone rang downstairs as she was still examining herself in the mirror. A maid knocked on the door,

"Sorry wait a moment." Sybil called hurriedly pulling on a skirt instead before throwing open the door.

"Miss Branson, a Miss Stein on the telephone for you?"

"Right, thank you." She ran down stairs in her usual 'un-ladylike' way.

_"Becca?"_

_"Darling can you get away tomorrow meet me at I don't know my house about ten?"_

_"Well, sure but why?"_

_"I can't tell you now I'm sorry, I'll see you tomorrow."_

Sybil arrived at Rebecca's at ten to ten. She was sitting on the doorstep smoking her hair in her usual braid over her shoulder.

"Darling what's the matter?"

Rebecca grimaced. "Moseley's having a march."

She spoke of the fascist leader Sir Oswald Moseley a man always dressed in black with a small black moustache. Before his supporters had come out as violent thugs two years ago he had been quite popular with the rest of the upper classes. Though thankfully had never been invited to Downton,

"He's always having marches." Sybil replied.

Rebecca stood up. "This one's in the East End, down Cable's Street a predominantly Jewish area." She paused. "It's disgusting, the only reason he's getting away with it is because well." She shrugged. "It's where poor people live no one would ever stand for it if he tried to march _here_."

Sybil still did not quite see where this was heading.

"I met a man Thursday night, while you were with Ned." She continued. "He said they were going to have a counter protest, will you come with me?"

The smells were of sweat and piss a couple of cockney women had hurled chamber pots from their windows along with oaths at the fascists down below in their ridiculous black-shirts. Red flags cut through the grey sky.

"Can you pass me that love?" An Irish docker, pointed to a broken bit of chair. She grabbed it and held it up to him on to the barricade. It was almost immediately by a blue sleeved bobby. A hiss ensued from the ranks bellow.

"Thanks love, we'll get these bastards aye?"

Sybil tripped back a little and grabbed hold of Rebecca's arm. "Isn't this wonderful?" She asked keeping her upper-class drawl to a whisper.

Rebecca grinned as well, "I know, I know. God." Her enormous green eyes bright and excited.

As the police began to break through, they shouted _they shall not pass, they shall not pass, and they shall not pass._

Scrabbling together into a tight crunch, they forced forward against the policeman trying to part them to let Moseley's fascists through. The singing began some of the words phased out with swearing or shouting.

_"Arise ye workers from your slumber,_

_Arise ye prisoners of want,_

_For freedom and-_Pigs! _Now thunders. _

_And at last ends the age of can't!_

_Away with all your superstitions _

_Servile masses-_Fuck off_ arise!_

_We'll change henceforth the old traditions_

_Spurn the dust to win the prize,_

_So comrades come rally and the last fight let us face._

_The Internationalie unites the human race."_

The man she had handed the chair was standing nose to nose with a policeman. Truncheon crunched against skin and bone. The mass swerved and there was a crash of broken glass a figure toppled into a show window. Blood pulsed under Sybil's skin she could feel her heart beating under her clothes. She and Rebecca were jostled until they were around the edge. She caught back of her friend's hand.

"Let's-" She began but the thought was lost as four large back horses, reared up and totted through trying to block and part them. Half a line toppled in the front as the large back bludgeons rose and fell.

"One.. Two-three-four-five! We want Moseley dead or alive." The chanting began

A couple of children weaved around them and tossed their marbles onto the pavement. A horse skidded and slid and collapsed, they surged through.

"Sweetheart," She smiled at the little grubby child with her stringy mousy plaits.

She held a handful of coloured marbles in her paw and slid one into her hand,

"Throw them like this." She threw and things very quickly turned grey, then black.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Thank you for the all the reviews really appreciated. So I hope you like this in case you're wondering this is based on an actual event in 1936: The Battle of Cable Street Wikipedia it if you like. Anyway tell me what you think of this! And now for a bit of shameless advertising if you like hunger games check out my other fic 'If it tastes like fire' Thanks x**

The streets stretched in front of her grey and out of focus swaying from side to side. Flags the colour of blood ripped through the air. Shouting soft and then suddenly devastatingly loud filled her ears. She heard a scream and felt herself dropping from conscious again.

She same round slowly foggy and hazy the room floated in front of her line of vision for a few moments full of mumbling voices she blinked and blinked. The room was so bright.

"She's round." A nurse said bending over her she could smell antiseptic and lavender soap, she could see up her nostrils "How are you feeling dear?"

"Err I'm not, I'm not sure-", her mouth tasted dry and funny, she was helped up to a sitting position by the elbow.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked briskly, emerging behind the nurse.

Realisation dawned with a kick. "Sybil Branson," She said quickly "It's October 4th 1936, Stanley Baldwin's Prime Minister,"

"Unfortunately," She heard Rebecca say followed by a round of coughing on a cigarette. She was unable to look away from the Doctor who was pinching her chin and shining a light into her eyes.

"I think your clear for concussion." He said "How's your head feeling?"

It had begun to throb horribly actually she raised a hand to her forehead and grimaced.

"Don't." He warned "We've giving you some aspirin it'll hit in soon, lie down… or don't if you feel sick." He left with a flap of white coat.

Rebecca immediately dropped her cigarette out the window and launched herself at Sybil.

"I was so worried, Sybil I was so worried, I couldn't find any where to take you and…" She broke off

Sybil awkwardly patted her shoulder

"Oh darling I'm fine..." She realised she didn't know if that was true. "Becca what's exactly happened?"

Rebecca took a step back reached into a pocket for her silver compact clicked it open and showed her, six black stitches sliced across her forehead. Underneath was a line of dried dark blood her skin was very pale against the black thread, but if Sybil was honest Rebecca who was lighting another cigarette, who's pallor was positively grey awful under her olive skin and was bearing a black purple eye eye and a split lip her cheeks marked with sticky tear streaks and her white blouse stained with blood, presumably Sybil's looked worse.

"You got truncheoned when the police's horse well and then you fell on the pavement and…" She gestured around Sybil's cut.

"What happened to you?"

"Oh I got punched," She said dismissively, waving her cigarette with a cloud of ash and smoke.

"Punched!"

"You got attacked by the fucking pigs!" Rebecca said. One of the nurses shot her a scandalized look and sucked her cheeks in like she had just bitten into a lemon Rebecca raised a eyebrow and smiled.

"Ned's coming." She said with a sigh "and your Aunt and Uncle, I'm sorry they made me call someone, well they did I didn't especially want to accidently end up with Lord Grantham or Ned for that matter. You can blame it all on me."

"Don't we have a cover story?" Sybil asked,

"Darling, we're in the middle of the east-end there are posters and flags in the streets we've just defeated the fascists. If your people don't clock it, Ned will certainly know. Look I told you don't have to worry blame it on me."

"We've really defeated them?" Sybil asked, Rebecca's eyes sparkled she grinned.

"He had to call off the march, never again." It was infectious Sybil grinned as well.

"I'm so glad so…I'm afraid me blaming you will never wash with Aunt Mary, takes two to tango and all that."

"I did ask you made you really, Ned's going to kill me." Rebecca said.

"Darling," Sybil attempted to interject

"No…" Rebecca smiled "no he is."

"My Aunt and Uncle are going to kill me."

With that the door opened, Lady Mary stood in the doorway in her exquisite Paris brought fur coat she looked frankly a little horrified at the way she had been dragged down to the London slums, glancing at Sybil she sighed heavily.

"Why do I always get, a sense of de ja vu whenever something like this happens with you Sybbie?"

Matthew standing behind his wife gave a soft snort of laughter which was immediately disguised as a cough. She turned to the doctor,

"How is she?"

"Aunt Mary I'm…" Sybil began,

"Oh don't even try Sybbie," Matthew said sitting down next to her, "You know what she's like, and you're just lucky your grandfather didn't answer the phone, it was a close call. You should have seen him the last time."

_The last time?_ She put her hand carefully to the undamaged part of her head and massaged it. Rebecca, lingered by her side lighting another cigarette,

"Is your brother-in-law coming for you, Rebecca?" Matthew asked

"Yes," Sybil said, quickly for her. Rebecca nodded absentmindedly.

"What's to be done?" Mary asked despairingly "Mama and papa will have an absolute fit and we shouldn't take you back to school yet." The Doctor nodded his agreement with this.

"Will they really, it's not like..?" Sybil asked tiredly her head was really throbbing.

"Darling," Mary said "you have no idea."

The door opened again. Ned entered, Sybil thought she had never seen him look so angry, his eyes narrowed and dark Rebecca immediately stood up and jutted out her chin with defiance.

"Lady Mary I'm so sorry," He began.

"Well, I'm sure both of them are equally to blame." Mary began, Ned did not look convinced.

"We've talked about this Rebecca," He said his voice low and dangerous

"Yes and I decided that I didn't want to just bloody talk about it anymore, I'm sorry to tell you but talking helps no one at the moment." Rebecca snapped back

"Rebecca." He grimaced and ran his fingers through his hair "This is possibly the most irresponsible thing you have ever done."

"Irresponsible, do you know what's irresponsible?"

"You almost got Sybil killed-"

"Not really killed," Sybil began, but her Aunt shook her head slightly and pursed her lips.

"Rebecca what on earth do you think you're sis…"

"No. No don't you dare, don't I am done." With as snap of her cigarette case plait swinging Rebecca stormed from the room.

"Darling…" He look at Mary and Matthew "I'm sorry," He apologized again before following after Rebecca.

"Oh dear," Mary said dryly when they had let, "That poor girl's not very happy is she?"

"Her cousin was murdered by Nazis." Sybil said bitterly "Of course she's not very happy."

Over her head Matthew and Mary exchanged a look,

"Be that as it may," Matthew began "He was right you know it is incredibly irresponsible to get involved with such a dangerous, movement..,"

"It's important," Sybil argued, her head ached "We can't just let people like Moseley get away with it! He was marching through a predominantly Jewish area are people supposed to put up with that kind of intimidation?"

Another look,

"Oh what is it?" Sybil asked impatiently

"You just sound so much…"

"Like your mother…" Tom said entering the room


End file.
